


What About Tonight

by taggiecb



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Booty Calls, Communication, Famous Harry, Friends With Benefits, M/M, Mutual Pining, No Smut, Non-Famous Louis, Relationship Discussions, tired louis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-24 22:13:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13820502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taggiecb/pseuds/taggiecb
Summary: Louis loves his new career. It might just be killing him, but he loves it. What he doesn't love is how easily the boy he cares most about seems to move in and out of his life.orprompt #593 The despair at how long it takes to get there.





	What About Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written as part of an ongoing challenge. We each select random numbers and are given a specific emotion from the book 1000 Feelings For Which There Are No Names. Other fics in this challenge can be found [here](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/ShortFic_Challenge_For_Which_There_Is_No_Name)!

Louis lays in bed trying to will himself to sleep. He has many tools to reach his precious slumber, but he may have just crossed the threshold to over tired this time. He’s not going to admit that his new job is kicking his ass. He likes to think more that he is kicking his own. It’s his first job in his prefered career, and he’s making the absolute most of it. This means missing a lot of sleep and a lot of fun that all of his friends seem to still be having. 

He starts counting again, backwards from a thousand, trying to shut his brain down when the silence of his bedroom is broken by the vibrating of his phone. He moans, and then sighs, and then moans again because it’s after midnight, and only one person is arrogant and clueless enough to call him after midnight these days. The phone makes the God awful noise a couple more times before Louis groans again and rolls over to pick it up. 

“Hello,” he says sleepily. 

“Hey baby.” He’s greeted in response with a voice low and sweet as syrup. 

“Hi Harry.” 

“I’m in town,” Harry says, apparently ignoring the exhaustion that Louis is sure he’s permeating through the phone. 

“Congratulations,” Louis replies, stifling a yawn. 

“Hey, that’s not nice.” Harry scolds him. “I’ve missed you.” 

“Yes, H, you always miss me when you are in the same city. Convenient that is,” Louis quips. He’s cranky; it’s the lack of sleep. 

“Babe, can I come over or not,” Harry practically begs. Louis pulls the phone away from his face. It shows that the time is 1:27am, but it also shows Louis’ contact pic for Harry, which happens to be a picture of him almost completely naked in bed. His dick betrays him once again. 

“Yeah, come over,” he says, defeated, before he hangs up without another word. 

 

“That was amazing as usual,” Harry says into Louis’ hair. They are both still catching their breath, their chests heaving in sync. Harry is right; it was amazing. It always is with Harry, but exhaustion has taken over his brain. Despite having nothing but good things to want to say to Harry, all he can do is shrug. Harry sits up on an elbow in surprise. “What? It wasn’t good? Did I do something? Are you ok?” 

“Jesus Harry no, it was fine. Everything is fine. Now go to sleep, or go back to your hotel, or whatever you want to do. I need to sleep.” Louis makes a big show of grabbing the blankets that have bunched at the bottom of the bed and rolling over with his face to the wall. 

He can feel Harry still staring at him. He closes his eyes and wills sleep to come...once again...Jesus, this is not a pattern that he wants in his life. 

“Lou,” Harry’s voice is soft and a little sad. “I’m not going back to my hotel. I want to stay here. I feel like I did something wrong.”  Louis knows deep down that Harry didn’t do anything wrong, and he knows that he isn’t blaming Harry on any of his problems. But he’s here, and Louis is so tired, and suddenly the words are just coming out. 

“No Harry, you didn’t do anything wrong. Nothing about your life is ever wrong. You just wander from city to city, country to country. You sing a few songs, sign a few autographs, and everyone is happy. Your life is so perfect, and I am tired. God, sometimes I feel lucky just to be a part of it. And then sometimes I wonder how many guys like me there are, and I hate myself. But I don’t have time to hate myself, or you, because I never stop long enough to really care about my personal life, and I just want a night where I can sleep.” Louis feels tired just saying all of this out loud, but he’s looking at Harry who is looking back at him like he’s an alien. Great, more questions. 

“Louis, what the hell are you talking about?” He runs his hands through his unruly hair. Louis just wants to touch it, but he refrains. 

He sighs and runs his hands through his own hair instead. “My job is hard as hell, and I am basically killing myself trying to make a good impression. And literally the only other thing that is important to me in my life is you, and you are very much temporary and very much not mine enough to be important.” 

“New job?” Harry stares at him, baffled. “When did you get a new job?” 

“I don’t know, maybe four months ago,” Louis says sassily. 

“Four months ago? Why didn’t you tell me? Was it the one with Empire?” Harry looks a mixture of shocked and excited. Louis is just confused. 

“Um, yes?” Louis replies, not quite sure how Harry even knows about the Empire job. 

“And what the hell with the ‘very much temporary part’?” Harry crosses his arms.

“I don’t know Harry! You’re an international pop star, and I am an assistant. Not even your assistant. Like the sexy way. How many of me do you have?” 

“How many of what do I what?” Harry shakes his head, as though that will make everything make sense. 

“Booty calls. Is all the blood not back to your brain yet? Whatever this is. How many?” 

“Um, no other,” Harry says quietly. 

“Harry.” Louis pins him with a look, crossing his arms himself, although it’s not as comfortable because he’s kind of still twisted in his spot to look at Harry. 

“Louis,” Harry replies, just as serious if it weren’t for the glimmer of mischief in his eye. 

“Let's be real,” Louis continues. 

“Ok, when was the last time you slept with someone who wasn’t me?” 

Damn. Harry caught him there. He scrambles for an answer, and finally just blurts something out at random. “Three months.” 

“Bullshit,” Harry snorts. 

“Six months.” He tries again. Harry just stares at him. “Ugh, fine a lot longer.” 

Louis collapses on the bed, and his limbs feel like lead. Harry leans over him, not close enough to kiss, but close enough for Louis to feel the weight of his body on his torso. 

“Louis, why are we talking about all of this now?” Harry asks, voice soft and kind. Louis instantly feels guilty. He truly didn’t intend to open this can of worms tonight. 

“I am so tired, and you are here. And I like it when you’re here, and I don’t like it when you’re not. And I am tired,” Louis sighs. Harry snuggles in beside him, kissing him lightly on the side of the head. 

“Then close your eyes, love. We will talk again in the morning, ok?” He lightly rubs a spot on Louis’ chest, and Louis can feel himself space out.

“You don’t have to,” Louis mumbles, drifting off almost instantly, but not before he hears Harry mumble. 

“If you only knew.” 

  
  
  


The next morning Louis wakes to the sun in his eyes. At first he smiles, feeling the sweet strain on his muscles from the night before. Then suddenly a panic settles over him. Work, he’s going to be late. His eyes fly open, and everything comes to a halt because the first thing he sees is Harry. Well, the back of Harry’s head. He’s still sleeping peacefully. All Louis wants to do is wrap his arms around him and soak into the warmth of his body. 

“Harry,” Louis says quietly. He’s met with no response. 

“H, Hazza,” he continues. Finally Harry grunts into his pillow, just to let Louis know that he’s alive. “I’ve got to go, I have work.” 

“What? It’s Saturday,” Harry groans, not opening his eyes. 

“I know. It will only be for a few hours. You can hang out, or you can go. It’s up to you.” Louis starts to get out of bed, already feeling the panic of being tardy. 

“I’m staying,” Harry says, voice finally clear. He’s fully awake now, peaking at Louis through the bathroom door. “I need to talk to you.”

The words sink like lead into Louis’ stomach. He looks at Harry for a moment, but is just met with an intent set of eyes back on him. He doesn’t have time to ask questions though. He’s late. He rushes out the door, not looking back. 

  
  


It’s dark by the time Louis walks back through his apartment door. His feet actually hurt from running. As a fan of music, Louis knows that celebrities can be divas, but today was the first time he has seen it first hand. Throughout the day he had tried to picture Harry like this. Harry is on the other side of this world, and Louis can’t even imagine what he is like as an artist. 

He throws his bag on the floor and kicks his shoes by the door before he heads to the kitchen. 

“Fuck!” He suddenly yells because there is someone in his kitchen. “Harry. What are you doing here?” 

“I told you I was going to stay,” Harry says. His voice is slow and sleepy. “I stayed.” 

“That was almost 15 hours ago, H,” Louis responds, aching all over just from the thought of what he has gone through during those hours. 

“Would you rather I go?” Harry asks, but he makes no effort to move from his spot. 

“No,” Louis protests. Moving towards the fridge to get a cold drink, he silently slides Harry a bottle of wine. He immediately reaches for the corkscrew. “No, of course I don’t mind. It’s just that you usually go, after…” Louis waves a hand in the air, leaving what exactly after is left unsaid. 

“You were upset last night,” Harry replies, passing the opened bottle of wine back. Louis considers just tipping the entire bottle to his mouth, but he refrains. 

“I wasn’t upset. I was tired and cranky and a little over dramatic. I get that way on only a few hours of sleep a week.” He takes a big gulp of the cool liquid and sighs happily. He actually doesn’t have to work tomorrow, and he is going to stay in his bed for at least twelve hours. 

“You think that I think of you as a stop over lay,” Harry continues, voice calm if a little sad. 

Louis stops and looks at him. His brain is muddled enough, but there is only one way to reply to this. “Well, yeah. Aren’t I?” 

Harry closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. After a moment and a few deep breaths, he looks at Louis again. “No, you idiot. You are not.” 

“Oh,” Louis replies, feeling a little lost again. “What am I then?” 

“Oh my God, Louis. I am kind of crazy about you. I thought you had noticed.” Harry smiles at this. Louis smiles back, not being able to resist. 

“I know we are good when we are together, but you are so busy. You travel. I don’t. I don’t know.” 

“I do travel a lot, but I always come back here whenever I can. I am not in love with the city, you know?” 

“So you come here? For me?” Louis asks, dumbfounded. 

“Yes!” Harry stands, coming around the small kitchen counter. He stands in front of Louis, and rubs his hands up Louis’ arms. “It’s just...how did you not know that?” 

Louis shrugs. “Because you never told me?” 

He looks Harry in the eye and is met with something. Something he hasn’t seen before or maybe just didn’t notice. 

“I’ve told you, Louis,” Harry says softly. “I have told you in so many ways. I was just...I don’t know...waiting for you to see.” Harry leans his forehead on Louis’, and they sort of just melt into one another. It’s nice, familiar even. 

“Come on. You’re tired. Off your feet,” he says, and Louis doesn’t argue, just takes his half drunk glass and sinks into the corner of the couch. Harry curls up next to him and pulls Louis’ feet onto his lap. As Harry starts rubbing, Louis closes his eyes and sighs happily. 

The quiet is comforting, only their breaths filling the air. Louis cracks an eye and sees Harry staring right back, face content, serene. “Tell me how you tried to tell me how you felt. Just one thing.” 

Harry laughs out loud, one short bark. “Have you ever listened to any of the songs I write and sing?” 

“Of course,” Louis replies before it sinks in. “Oh.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Which one?” Louis asks.

“One?” Harry chuckles.

“Pick one,” Louis replies. 

Harry takes a deep breath and sings softly. 

 

_ If I could fly, I’d be coming right back home to you _

_ I think I might  _

_ Give up everything just ask me to. _

 

“Really?” Louis asks, voice hoarse with emotion. 

“Of course,” Harry smiles at him. 

Louis sits up, bringing his face close to Harry. “Why didn’t you say something?” He asks again. 

“I don’t know. It’s a lot. I am a lot. I didn’t want to scare you away.” Harry shrugs. “But I didn’t want to lose you either. So I tried to keep my distance until you either decided I am worth it, or decided I am not.” 

Harry looks down at Louis’ feet in his lap. “I kind of thought last night you were about to decide that I am not. I couldn’t go back to LA not knowing for sure. So I stayed. I decided to lay my cards on the table.”

Louis can feel the lump in his throat. Hearing the emotion in Harry’s voice and seeing it on his face is both heartbreaking and exciting. “So what are you saying? Exactly?” 

Harry looks at him again. He looks almost timid. Louis can see him working his jaw, trying to work up the courage to speak. He smiles, trying to be encouraging. “I love you Louis. I am….in love with you.” 

It literally takes Louis’ breath away. He can only do what his heart tells him and leans in to kiss Harry. Harry wraps his arms around him and brings him close. 

“I wasn’t expecting my day to end like this,” Louis laughs against Harry’s lips. Harry smiles, too. 

“Not too much?” Harry asks. 

“Never enough,” Louis replies. 

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr post](https://taggiecb.tumblr.com/post/171381340887/what-about-tonight-by-taggiecb-louis-loves-his)


End file.
